Britta Schwalm-Blessed Child Rings

At Design Interviews

(Excerpt) Interview with Britta Schwalm : Frank Scott: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?. Britta Schwalm : I was inspired by my newborn son. He was so heartwarming to look at , I decided to make that feeling last by capturing it in a precious material.
.Frank Scott: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?. Britta Schwalm : The baby should represent an archetype, so that everyone can see his or her baby in it. Or even a connection to one’s inner child or a stillborn child.
.Frank Scott: What are your future plans for this award winning design?. Britta Schwalm : I&#039;m planning to realize bangles with the baby inside. But I have to do research first, the bangels should be in paper.
.Frank Scott: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?. Britta Schwalm : I’ve worked on this for more than a year. It was very complex to find a way of modelling a baby on the inside of a ring. I encountered a few setbacks before I found the solution. It was a newly developed 3D computer program.
.Frank Scott: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?. Britta Schwalm : It was my inspiration. Having a look at my son would explain everything. .Frank Scott: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?. Britta Schwalm : I am selling and marketing the rings myself. I reserved the rights and am expanding my network of customers and resellers.
.Frank Scott: What made you design this particular type of work?. Britta Schwalm : I liked the hide and seek game, the two rings play. And I like to design a baby in a clear and formal way. .Frank Scott: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?. Britta Schwalm : I collaborated with Martin Schellhas. His work with the 3D program brought to life the design I was looking for.
.Frank Scott: Who is the target customer for his design?. Britta Schwalm : Moms, Moms to be, Dads, Dads to be and Parents of stillborn children. Anyone seeking connection with their inner child.
.Frank Scott: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?. Britta Schwalm : A baby ON a ring is a quite new idea.
A baby IN a ring is unique.
.Frank Scott: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?. Britta Schwalm : In German &quot;Glückskind&quot; is a person that has good fortune in life. The closest in English was &quot;blessed child&quot;, which is not the same, but some words aren&#039;t possible to translate exatcly. &quot;Blessed child&quot; hits the meaning very well. And if you have the gift of life, you are blessed.
.Frank Scott: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?. Britta Schwalm : 3D Shaper by 3design.
Pencil, rasp and a lot of time.
.Frank Scott: What is the most unique aspect of your design?. Britta Schwalm : The wearer of the ring with the baby outside (Sam) has the chance to show how proud a mom/dad can be.
The wearer of the ring with the baby inside (Jamie) has a secret. He or she can decide whether or not to reveal the baby.
.Frank Scott: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?. Britta Schwalm : I collaborated with Martin Schellhas, who programmed the ring design in 3D Shaper. Also with &quot;HMS rapid prototyping&quot; in Germany, who are specialists for 3D printing in jewelry. .Frank Scott: What is the role of technology in this particular design?. Britta Schwalm : It is most important. I tried to carve the rings in wax to create them, which workedsuccessfully for the baby on top of the ring. But inside the ring – I wasn&#039;t able to shape a baby in the way I wanted. The 3D Shaper came out at that time and I found a way to have the baby in that shape I had envisaged.
.Frank Scott: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for mak.[ End of Excerpt: Read complete interview with Britta Schwalm on Blessed Child Rings at design-interviews.com ]